A 2015 SoCal guard being eyed by SJSU

From Joel Francisco: "2015 Brandon Smith (Santa Ana/Godinez) has UC Irvine, Utah, and San Jose State on his radar...this wing-type is on the rise."

He's a 6-foot-4 backcourter who seems on the cusp of blowing up.

Onwas coming to SJSU

Out of the Texas prep ranks, then two years at Narvarro College in the Lone Star State and one season at Utah, 6-foot-5, 210 Princeton Onwas is headed to SJSU, per Jimmy Durkin.

He was recognized for his defensive efforts and slashing ability last season but is not an offensive threat (4.8 points, 2.5 rebound a contest, 51% shooting overall, 20% from long distance, 42% at the foul line) despite exceptional athleticism. Onwas will be both a role player and a role model for defensive play and prowess -- something that is needed. Per NCAA regulations, he will have to redshirt his initial season at Washington Square.

 Here he is dunking over a defender in high school:

 

Spartans offer Blackmon

SJSU has offered a small forward out of Utah -- Utah Basketball Club: "6'6 2015 F Jarriesse Blackmon received an offer from San Jose State today. Congrats @Jayrriesse #UBCFam "

Montana and North Dakota have also offered the lefty thus far.

Blackmon averaged 17 points and 11 boards per game last season and is described as very athletic.

Here's a Bubba Brown-written article on Blackmon  from January of this year.

No Deonte Burton

Nevada's Deonte Burton wasn't drafted but Cam (New Mexico) Bairstow went 49th and Xavier (San Diego State) Thames 59th. No Alex (New Mexico) Kirk either.

Chris Murray writes about Burton who was hindered by his minimal shooting prowess from long distance..

Will Burton make The League?

Chris Murray outlines the pros and cons for Nevada's Deonte Burton vis-a-vis the NBA.

A Moses Omolade sighting

Noticed that former Spartan Moses Omolade is playing in the San Francisco Pro-Am this summer. Glad to see he is still in the Bay Area despite the debacle surrounding his eligibility.

Artis no longer pursued by St. John's

Adam Zagoria reports that St. John's has pulled out of pursuing Dominic Artis.

SJSU offers 2016 Terrell

A Josh Gershon tweet: "2016 Sacramento (Calif.) SG Christian Terrell picked up an offer from San Jose State."

Terrell is a 6-foot-3 backcourter with nice potential. Still a lot to realize.

Young with a San Jose State University offer

Via Earl Allen Jr (who is on the coaching staff at Sacramento High): "Sacramento High 2016 power forward Solomon Young has been offered by San Jose State."

Young is one of my favorite players, with a power forward body yet a sweet touch from outside. He still needs to add a dribble-drive aspect to his offensive arsenal but there's plenty of time. It's hard to see what could keep him out of the Pac-12.

A great step forward

From USC athletics:

USC will offer four-year athletic scholarships to all scholarship student-athletes in the revenue sports of football and men's and women's basketball in lieu of the current practice of offering one-year renewable scholarships, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden announced today. 

Haden said this policy will be effective July 1, 2014, for all current and future scholarship student-athletes in those sports. 
    
"In taking this action, USC hopes to help lead the effort to refocus on student-athlete welfare on and off the field," Haden said.

Haden also reaffirmed the university's commitment to assist those scholarship student-athletes in good academic standing that have exhausted their intercollegiate eligibility to obtain their undergraduate degrees. USC has assisted more than 250 former student-athletes with undergraduate degree academic support over the last decade.

The last Colorado State departure is the one that hurts

Miles Blumhardt at The Coloradoan isn't feeling it for Colorado State basketball after the latest player departure. This is a very interesting read.

Greater attendance -- worse season

Geoff Grammer tweeted: "Think Utah St liked being in MW over WAC? Amid one of worst hoops seasons in years, 1,893/gm attendance increase was 6th best in nation"

Artis connected to three Bay Area destinations

From Matt Prehm:

"Former Oregon point guard Dominic Artis has been tied to schools located in the Bay Area after being dismissed from the Oregon basketball program earlier this spring. Now Artis is also considering St. John's back east in New York according to multiple reports.

Artis will have to sit out the 2014-15 basketball season before becoming eligible as a redshirt junior the following season.

Cal, San Jose State, and San Francisco are also other schools being considered by Artis."

Artis would need to redshirt a season and then have two seasons of eligibility remaining. He had an excellent freshman year but a poor sophomore one. He was suspended for selling shoes early on this go-around and then there was that recent mess that caused his departure from Eugene.

Colorado State loses starting guard

6-foot-4 Jon Octeus, a starting guard at Colorado State who averaged 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2013-14, is transferring. He will graduate in July but with a season of eligibility remaining. Octeus shot 41%, 36% and 76% respectively, alongside 73 assists versus 39 turnovers.

Utah State gets a frontcourt transfer

6-foot-9 Lew Evans, out of Tulsa, Casper College and New Hampton Prep School (working backwards) , has signed with Utah State. In 22 starts last season, he averaged 5.3  points and 4.1 rebounds a game, shooting 34%, 26% and 58% respectively. 112 of his 183 total shots were from beyond the arc.

There was a coaching change at Tulsa which obviously played a role in the decision. Evans will have to sit out a season per NCAA transfer regulations.

Getting more and more bizarre

Every recruiting site on the 'net and Devenir Duruisseau's own Twitter account still indicate no landing spot for the 6-foot-8 2014 frontcourter. It's way past letter-of-intent signing time for DI schools although prospects can sign a financial aid agreement (which doesn't bind them to that school). There's definitely a story behind the why of his non-signing but whether that will ever appear in print or pixel is doubtful. Heck, maybe he's going to do a year of prep school (we're grasping at straws here).

SJSU offers a 2016 backcourter

From Josh Gershon: "2016 Earl Watson Elite SG Leland Green has been offered by San Jose State."

Green is a 6-foot-2 shooting guard out of Redondo Beach High who also holds offers from USF, UNLV, Arizona State and Northern Arizona.

Here's a February 2014 article on him.

Another take on the 2014-15 MWC season

Chip Patterson of CBSSports takes an off-season look at Mountain West Conference basketball.

Steve Fisher lauded once again

San Diego State Coach Steve Fisher comes in at #18 in ESPN's rankings of the top college coaches. The Aztec program is the one for SJSU to emulate because its achievable, having been built minus high school bluechippers.

Oliver no longer playing Kiwi ball

AO is no longer playing in New Zealand:

Taranaki Mountain Airs American import Adrian Oliver has had his contract ripped up and was on a plane back home yesterday.

The Mountain Airs management released the injury plagued Oliver from his contract last weekend because of "a few issues," said Airs manager Mick McBeth yesterday.

Oliver missed the Airs last two games against the Canterbury Rams and Wellington Saints as he tried to recover from blisters on his feet.

"His body wasn't up to playing full time basketball again," said McBeth, adding that Oliver was coming off a lengthy spell since his previous professional contract before signing for the Airs.

"Obviously we would have preferred to find this out before he came over, but he did come with a recommendation."

McBeth said the Airs had a performance clause in Oliver's contract which the American guard failed to meet from the time he arrived in New Plymouth.

Injury and fitness concerns, however, were only a part of the reason Oliver was dropped.

McBeth said the American guard was reluctant to play an active role in the Mountain Airs basketball in schools coaching programme.

"Part of our programme is that (imports) are paid to coach as a part of children in schools programme and he struggled to buy into the concept," said McBeth.

"Adrian has had a lot of big contracts in the past when he has been paid to play basketball only. The idea of coaching as well was something that he wasn't familiar with," McBeth said.

He said the crunch came after Oliver didn't play against Canterbury on Queen's Birthday Monday and then couldn't train and missed the game against the Saints in New Plymouth last Friday night.

Oliver was happy with the decision to terminate his contract with the Airs, according to McBeth. "It's not that we pushed him out, it was a case of what's best for both parties...."

Looking at who Nevada brought in for next season

Dan Hinxman provides a look at Nevada's 2014 recruiting class.

It will be a long, long shot landing Tahjai Teague

I think or make that fear 6-foot-9 2015 prospect Tahjai Teague's demonstrated talent and promise have already negated any possibility of landing him. Watch this video:

Eke to COS

6-foot-8 East Bakersfield frontcourter Fatai Eke has made the call and it's College of the Sequoias. He was, among many others, an SJSU recruiting target but academics forced him to the junior college route

COS Coach Rusty Smith had three freshman scoring in double figures this past season and now has a vacuum cleaner on the boards.

Okafor signs with Grand Canyon of the WAC

Per Gregg Rosenberg1: "Grand Canyon University just signed 6'10" 230 C Tobe Okafor out of Western Texas Jr. College" Former NBA-er Dan Majerle is the head coach there.

So much for my now uneducated guess. But we'll try and find out which schools it finally came down to.

Former Spartan signee lands at NCCU

From Jeff Borzello: "North Carolina Central has landed a commitment from junior college prospect Jeremiah Ingram, per a source."

 NCCU won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this past season, finishing 28-6, 15-1 before falling to Iowa State in the opening round of the Big Dance.

What's funny is a Jeremy Ingram, the top player on the team, is graduating so Coach LeVelle Moton went out and landed a Jeremiah Ingram.

An Okafor update

It appears Tobe Okafor has made his decision but needs to talk with one coach before he will announce his choice.

From the Long Beach State Athletics fan message board comes: "Honestly, I'm waiting to talk to coach Monson before saying anything publically. Idk if he's back from his trip yet but the conversation, should have happened already."

That's Long Beach State Coach Don Monson. Recruits generally attempt to call each head coach who is pursuing them once a decision has been made. Reading the tea leaves here, it sounds like Okafor isn't going with the 49ers but wants to tell Monson that before making it public.

Just wondering

That "special talent" mentioned by Coach Wojcik as the only target for the 13th scholarship if he goes with SJSU -- how about Tobe Okafor as a complete guess?

Why that choice?

From a now old tweet at Juco Recruiting: "Tobe Okafor (6'10/F/2014) hearing from Houston, North TX, Tulane, Utah St, San Jose, Morehead, Long Beach..."

The 225-pound frontcourter is strong at the defensive end -- 66 blocks in 29 games -- but averaged just 4.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this past season.

From a May 2 Brad Winton article:

Tobe Okafor, a 6’10 forward out of Western Texas College, has also seen his recruitment pick up after a very good showing in Dallas. Okafor is taking a visit to Houston this weekend and Long Beach State next weekend. Okafor is also hearing from Memphis (has shown heavy interest of late), Florida Gulf Coast, North Texas, Tulane, Utah St, San Jose St., Morehead St, UIC, Grand Canyon, Western Illinois and Charleston Southern among others.

A description from 2012: "...Tobe’s best basketball is ahead of him ... He’s a raw talent, he can block shots and rebound the basketball but offensively his skills are very green..."

Oakfor is from Nigeria and originally committed to Loyola Marymount.

But there certainly is the question of why a junior college talent would come in unless the plan is to redshirt him in the first season (due to the Spartans not being eligible for the MWC tourney)? It does appear Okafor's rawness would merit another year of practice and wight work.

Okafor is supposed to announce his college choice today.

Tobe Okafor (6'10/F/2014) hearing from Houston, North TX, Tulane, Utah St, San Jose, Morehead, Long Beach, - See more at: http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/tobe-okafor#sthash.l7KDD0w5.dpuf

Tobe Okafor (6'10/F/2014) hearing from Houston, North TX, Tulane, Utah St, San Jose, Morehead, Long Beach, - See more at: http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/tobe-okafor#sthash.l7KDD0w5.dpuf

A 2016 point offered

From Kristof Kendrick: "2016 Indiana Elite/West Lafayette PG Nai Carlisle just picked up and offer from San Jose State."

The 6-footer took unofficial visits to Cal on Saturday, SJSU today, and will hit Santa Clara on Wednesday.

Here's a feature on the young man.

What Jalen James can prove this coming season

From Clint Parks: "What good is a point guard that doesn't make the game easier for his teammates? IMO if you can't do that you gotta move to the 2"

Sophomore-to-be point Jalen James compiled 89 assists versus 76 turnovers this season. In comparison, D.J. Brown's assist-to-turnover ration was 86/37 but we're pitting a freshman's numbers against those of someone in his fourth year of college.

Actually, disregard James' numbers because his teammates were such an unusual mixture (so many fellow frosh, no real center, not really playing with anyone who could get his own shot, etc.) His totals don't contain any real point of validity.

But James does need to begin displaying what Parks cites above. He will have a year of experience and more talented teammates. Yes, there won't really be a proven pivotman again this coming season but the creative and scoring abilities of veteran transfer guard Jordan Baker will take off some of the pressure. 

Will SJSU and others be chartering?

UNM weighs increased charter travel for men’s hoops

Can't imagine many of the Mountain West Conference teams have the budget to do so.